Moving Forward
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· 68 viewsAnytime there is a crisis point in our lives, we move forward with care. When there are difficult events and trying times, we need to proceed with caution.
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Last year my family and I went on two trips across the country.
On both of these trips the same thing happened.
We got pulled over.
Some of my kids loved it, some not so much.
The thing about getting pulled over is that when you are given the okay to drive off, you move forward carefully.
Most of us do not slam the gas pedal to the floor as we pull away from the (in this case) state trooper that pulled us over.
Anytime there is a crisis point in our lives, we move forward with care.
When there are difficult events and trying times, we need to proceed with caution.
That’s what I want to talk about tonight.
As we consider my family and I moving, the church searching for a new pastor, and everything that will come with that, how do we move forward?
As we think about that, I want to go to a Biblical example of not moving forward.
Go with me to Genesis 19:12-30.
Genesis 19:12-30
12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place!
13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.”
16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”
18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords!
19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die.
20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”
21 And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken.
22 Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.
24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.
25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.
28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.
29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.
30 Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave.
Lot’s wife couldn’t move forward, she looked back and died as a result.
Lot didn’t want to obey and go to the mountains, instead he went to Zoar.
But then, he was afraid in Zoar, so he went to the mountains.
There his daughters commited incest and from them were born two nations (the Ammonites and the Moabites) that would later become enemies of Israel.
All of this because Lot and his family got stuck.
They didn’t move forward in obedience and the consequences were devastating.
Every time we know what to do, and choose to disobey, there will be consequences.
Now go with me to our passage: Romans 12:10-13.
Romans 12:10-13
The title that my Bible has for this section is “Behave Like a Christian”
This is the last Wednesday night I will be doing.
I won’t be able to be here next week, I hope to be here the week after, but I don’t know yet.
As I thought about what to share tonight, I thought of this question.
How do all of us move forward?
Here in Romans 12 Paul is transitioning from teaching doctrine to the Roman church to explaining how that doctrine should impact their lives.
What we will learn tonight is 8 requirements for moving forward.
Requirement #1…
Loving Commitment v. 10a
Loving Commitment v. 10a
Romans 12:10 (NKJV)
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love
Kindly affectionate - loving dearly; being devoted. Loving in a way characteristic of the relationship between family members.
Brotherly love - the affection naturally befitting the relationship between siblings; especially as the affection of those who are now siblings in God’s family.
Paul is writing to a church.
He is calling us as believers to be devoted to one another!
Why?
Because we are family!
The interaction in the body of Christ is supposed to show the world how a family ought to function.
Unfortunately, churches too often present a dysfunctional family.
There is to be loving commitment in the body of Christ.
We move forward as we, in love, commit to one another.
Requirement #1: Loving Commitment.
Requirement #2…
Deferential Respect v. 10b
Deferential Respect v. 10b
Romans 12:10 (NKJV)
10 in honor giving preference to one another;
Honor - value. Highly respected or revered.
Preference - Esteem more highly. View as first. (participle with imperative force)
This is essentially a command.
We are to value and respect one another to the point that we put them first.
We show deferential respect.
All are to do this.
There is no one at the top of the pile, everyone deferring to them.
We all defer to one another.
We move forward when we put each other first.
Example: Where we sit in the auditorium.
Put others first!
Let young families sit in the back so they can take their kids out if they need to.
If you can’t hear, don’t complain about it while sitting in the back!
Sit up front.
Requirement #1: Loving Commitment.
Requirement #2: Deferential Respect.
Requirement #3…
Eager Service v. 11
Eager Service v. 11
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
Everything in this verse points to how we serve the lord.
“Not lagging in diligence” is the idea that we are not lazy, but eager to serve.
Paul takes it a step further with the phrase “fervent in Spirit”.
The idea here is of enthusiasm or excitement.
Not just eager to serve, but excited to serve.
Eagerness and enthusiasm.
That’s what this is about.
We do not serve grudgingly, we serve out of loyalty.
Serving - douleuo be a slave.
Bondservant of Christ. - How do we view ourselves?
Do we think God needs us?
He wants us, but we are His slaves. Purchased possessions of the King.
It should not be a question of if we will serve but how we will serve.
We move forward as we serve the Lord with eager enthusiasm.
Requirement #1: Loving Commitment.
Requirement #2: Deferential Respect.
Requirement #3: Eager Service.
Requirement #4…
Confident Rejoicing v. 12a
Confident Rejoicing v. 12a
Romans 12:12 (NKJV)
12 rejoicing in hope
Rejoicing - Feel happiness or joy. Be glad.
Hope - Expectation that a desire will be fulfilled.
We rejoice in our hope.
We rejoice in the confident expectation that our desire will be fulfilled!
Our confident expectation is of God keeping His promises.
He will do what He has promised.
That confidence is what brings us rejoicing!
We move forward in confidence that God will do what He has promised!
Requirement #1: Loving Commitment.
Requirement #2: Deferential Respect.
Requirement #3: Eager Service.
Requirement #4: Confident Rejoicing.
Requirement #5…
Unwavering Endurance v. 12b
Unwavering Endurance v. 12b
Romans 12:12 (NKJV)
12 patient in tribulation
Patient - Endure. Persevere, refuse to stop.
Tribulation - Affliction, distress, adversity.
We endure.
We refuse to stop, refuse to be turned aside.
We persevere regardless of the distress or adversity we face.
This is not something that is done in our own strength or ability.
We endure like Moses because we see our God (Heb. 11:27).
We endure through Christ whose strength is perfected in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
We also endure as we are encouraged by our brothers and sisters in Christ.
But the point here is that we do not give up.
We move forward because we refuse to quit.
Is that true of us today?
Will we refuse to quit?
It is going to be tempting.
There are going to be things that happen that you will not like.
Our enemy is going to tell you that the best solution is just to go somewhere else.
Be unwavering in endurance.
Requirement #1: Loving Commitment.
Requirement #2: Deferential Respect.
Requirement #3: Eager Service.
Requirement #4: Confident Rejoicing.
Requirement #5: Unwavering Endurance.
Requirement #6…
Constant Prayer v. 12c
Constant Prayer v. 12c
Romans 12:12 (NKJV)
12 continuing steadfastly in prayer;
Continuing steadfastly is all one word in Greek.
It means “to be devoted to, to persevere devotedly”.
We are to persevere devotedly in prayer.
This is a command.
There is an implication in this command.
The implication is that prayer is not always answered immediately.
There are times when we must pray hard and long before we understand God’s answer.
What are the three answers to prayer?
Yes, No, Wait.
We keep on praying until we get a clear answer.
We move forward as we constantly give everything to the Lord in prayer.
All of us have things we need to be praying about.
Pray for yourself, for others, and for the church.
Requirement #1: Loving Commitment.
Requirement #2: Deferential Respect.
Requirement #3: Eager Service.
Requirement #4: Confident Rejoicing.
Requirement #5: Unwavering Endurance.
Requirement #6: Constant Prayer.
Requirement #7…
Necessary Provision v. 13a
Necessary Provision v. 13a
Romans 12:13 (NKJV)
13 distributing to the needs of the saints
Distributing - to share or partake in.
Needs - anything necessary that is lacking.
This is a command for us as brothers and sisters in Christ to minister to one another.
If there is a need we are able to meet, we need to meet it!
This is not an optional thing.
If someone has a basic necessity of life that they are not able to provide for themselves, the church, the body of Christ, ought to meet that need.
This requires 2 things.
1 - Those who have needs must share them.
2 - Those with the ability to meet needs must be asking.
We move forward through meeting the needs of our fellow believers.
I cannot stress enough how this is a command.
We must do this.
Requirement #1: Loving Commitment.
Requirement #2: Deferential Respect.
Requirement #3: Eager Service.
Requirement #4: Confident Rejoicing.
Requirement #5: Unwavering Endurance.
Requirement #6: Constant Prayer.
Requirement #7: Necessary Provision
Requirement #8…
Passionate Care v. 13b
Passionate Care v. 13b
Romans 12:13 (NKJV)
13 given to hospitality.
Given - pursue, join in an activity.
Hospitality - kindness in welcoming strangers or guests.
Do we pursue opportunities to have people into our homes?
Are we passionate about the care of others?
Hospitality is about expressing our care for others in an outward, tangible way.
Do we do this?
We move forward as we care about others and demonstrate that care.
This is what hospitality is all about.
We show people that we care.
We operate as the visible hands and feet of Jesus.
There is a lot more we could talk about in this chapter.
We only have time to single these ones out tonight.
This is how we move forward.
Commit.
Defer.
Serve.
Rejoice.
Endure.
Pray.
Provide.
Care.
Challenge:
The only way to move forward is in obedience to Christ.